forty yeares because of their rebellion feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven and sometimes with water miraculously drawn out of dry Rocks for the Country hath very little water almost no trees and is utterly unfit for tillage or corne There are no Towns nor inhabitants of this Desart in Arabia Petrosa are some but not many Arabia Foelix for fruitfulness of ground and convenience standing every way toward the Sea is one of the best Countries of the world and the principall cause why it is called Foelix is for that it yieldeth many things in abundance which in other parts of the world are not to be had as Frankincense especially the most precious Balmes Myrrhe and many other both Fruits and Spices and yieldeth withall store of some precious stones When Alexander the great was young after the manner of the Macedonians he was to put incense upon an Altar pouring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobility of his Countrey told him that he was too prodigall of that sweet perfume and that he should make spare untill he had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow But when Alexander afterward had taken Arabia and had possession thereof he sent a ship load of Frankincense to the Noble man and bad him serve the gods plentifully and not offer incense miserably This is that countrey wherein Mahomet was borne who being of mean parentage was brought up in his youth in the trade of Merchandise but afterward joyning himself with thieves and robbers his life was to rob such Merchants as passed thorow Arabia and to this purpose having gotten together many of his own Countrey-men he had afterward a whole legion or more of the Roman Souldiers who being offended with Heraclius the Roman Emperour for want of their pay joined themselves to him so that at length he had a great Army wherewith he spoiled the Countries adjoining And this was about the yeare of Christ 600. To maintaine his credit and authority with his own men he fained that he had conference with the Holy Ghost at such times as he was troubled with the falling sicknesse and accordingly he ordained a new religion consisting partly of Jewish Ceremonies and partly of Christian Doctrine and some other things of his own invention that he might inveigle both Jewes and Christians and yet by his own fancy distinguish his own followers from both The Booke of his Religion is called the Alcaron The people which are Sectaries whereas indeed they came of Hagar the Hand-maid of Sarah Abrahams wife and therefore should of her be called Ishmaelites or Hagarens because they would not seeme to come of a bond-woman and from him whom they suppose a bastard they terme themselves Saracens as comming from Sarah they are called by some Writers Arabians instead of Saracens their name being drawn from their first Countrey Mahomet did take something of his doctrine both from the Jewes and Christians as that there is but one God that there is a life eternall in another world and the ten Commandements which they do admit and beleeve but from the Jewes alone the false Prophet did borrow divers things as that all his males should be circumcised that they should eate no swines flesh that they should oftentimes bathe purge and wash themselves which divers of their people which are more religious than the ordinary sort do five times in the day and therefore they have neare to their Churches and Houses of Devotion divers Baths whereinto when they have entred and washed themselves they do perswade themselves that they are as cleare from sinne as they were the first day they were born In this Country of Arabia standeth a City called Mecha where is the place where Mahomet was buried and in remembrance of him there is builded a great Temple unto which the Turkes and Saracens yearely goe on pilgrimage as some Christians doe to the Holy Land For they account Mahomet to be the greatest Prophet that ever came into the world saying that there were three great Prophets Moses Christ and Mahomet and as the doctrine of Moses was better by Christ so the doctrine of Christ is amended by Mahomet In this respect as we reckon the computation of our yeares from the incarnation of Christ so the Saracens account theirs from the time of Mahomet The Turkes whose fame began now about 3000 yeares since have imbraced the opinions and religion of the Saracens concerning Mahomet Some of our Christians doe report that Medina a City standing three daies journy from Mecha is the place where Mahomet was buried and that by order from himself his body was put into an Iron Coffin which being carried into a Temple the roofe or vault whereof was made of Adamant or perhaps of the Loadstone is attracted unto the top of the vault and there hangeth being supported by nothing But there is no certainty of this Narration This false Prophet as Lodovicus Vives de veritate fidei doth write being desirous in some sort to imitate Christ Jesus who foretold that he should rise again within the space of 3. dayes did give out that himself should rise again but he appointed a larger time that was after 800. yeares and yet that time also is expired but we heare no newes of the resurrection of Mahomet As the Deviil hath ever some device to blinde the eyes of unbelievers so he hath suffered it to be reported and credited among the Turkes that as Moses did allude to the comming of Christ so Christ did foretell somewhat of the appearing of Mahomet Whereupon it is ordinarily received among them that when Christ in St Johns Gospel did say That although he departed he would send them a Comforter it was added in the Text and that shall be Mahomet But that the Christians in malice to them have raced out those words Their own bookes do mention that Mahomet while he lived was much given to lasciviousnesse and all uncleannesse of body even with very beasts and his followers are so senslesse that in imitation of him they think no such wickednesse to be unlawfull For they are utterly unlearned and most receive whatsoever is delivered unto them out of the Alcaron Mahomet having made it a matter of death to dispute sift or call in question any thing which is written in his Law On the West side of Arabia between that and Egypt lieth the Gulph called of the Country Sinus Arabicus by some Mare Erithraeum but commonly the Red sea not from the rednesse of the water but because the land and bankes thereabout are in colour red This is the Sea through the which by Moses the people of Israel were led when they fled out of Egypt from Pharaoh God causing by his power the waters to stand on both sides of them that they passed through as on dry land This is that Sea through which the spices of the East Indies were in times past brought to
Land about the River it hath been so calme that men did go in single thin linnen garments In this Countrey standeth the Lake called Lacus Asphaltites because of a kinde of slime called Bitumen or Asphaltum which daily it doth cast up being of force to joine stones exceeding fast in building And into this Lake doth the River Jordan runne This Lake is it which is called Mare Mortuum a Sea because it is salt and Mortuum or Dead for that no living thing is therein The water thereof is so thicke that few things will sinke therein in so much that Josephus faith that an Oxe having all his legges bound will not sinke into that water The nature of this Lake as it was supposed was turned into this quality when God did destroy Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities adjoining with fire and brimstone from Heaven for Sodome and the other Cities did stand near unto Jordan and to this Mare Mortuum for the destruction of whom all that Coast to this day is a witnesse the Earth smelling of brimstone being desolate and yielding no fruit saving apples which grow with a faire shew to the eye like other fruit but as soon as they are touched do turn presently to soot or ashes as besides Josephus Solinus doth witnesse in his 48 Chapter The Land of Palestina had for iâ—…s Inhabitants all the Twelve Tribes of Israel which were under one Kingdome till the time Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon But then were they divided into two Kingdomes ten Tribes being called Israel and two Iudah whose chiefe City was called Ierusalem The ten Tribes after much Idolatry were carried prisoners unto Assyria and the Kingdome dissolved other people being placed in their roome in Samaria and the Country adjoining The other two Tribes were properly called the Iewes and their Land Iudea which continued long after in Ierusalem aâ—…d thereabout till the Captivity of Babylon where they lâ—…ved for seventy-yeâ—…es They were afterward restored but lived without glory till the comming of Christ But since that time for a curse upon them and their children for putting Christ to death they are scattered upon the face of the earth as Runnagates without certaine Country King Priest or Prophet In their chiefe City Ierusalem was the Temple of God first most gloriously built by Solomon and afterward destroied by Nebuchadnezzar By the commandement of Cyrus King of Persia was a second Temple built much more base than the former For besides the poverty and smalnesse of it theâ—…e wanted five things which were is the former as the Jewes write First the Arke of the Covenant Secondly the pot of Manna Thirdly the Rod of Aaron Fourthly the two Tables of the Law written by the finger of God And fifthly the fire of the Sacrifice which came down from Heaven Herod the Great an Edomite stranger having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and knowing the people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour he built a third Temple wherein our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles did teach The City of Jerusalem was twice taken and utterly laid desolate first by Nebuchadnezzar at the Captivity of Babylon and secondly after the death of Christ by Vespasian the Roman who first began the Warres and by his sonne Titus who was afterward Emperour of Rome who brought such horrible desolation on that City and the people thereof by fire sword and famine that the like hath not been read in any History He did afterwards put thousands of them on one some day to be devoured of the Beasts which was a cruel custome of the Romans Magnificence Although Numbers and Times be not superstitiously to be observed as many foolish imagine yet it is a matter in this place not unworthy the noting which Josephus reporteth in his seventh booke and tenth Chapter de bello Judaico that the very same day whereon the Temple was set on fire by the Babylonians was the day whereon the second Temple was set on fire by the Romanes and that was upon the tenth day of August After this destruction the Land of Iudea and the ruines of Jerusalem were possessed by some of the people adjoining till that about six hundred yeares since the Saracens did invade it for expelling of whom from thence divers French men and other Christians under the leading of Godfrey of Bullen did assemble themselves thinking it a great shame that the Holy Land as they called it the City of Jerusalem and the place of the Sepulchre of Christ should be in the hands of Infidels This Godfrey ruled in Jerusalem by the name of a Duke but his successours after him for the space of 87. yeares called themselves Kings of Jerusalem About which time Saladine who called himself King of Egypt and Asia the lesse did winne it from the Christians For the recovery whereof Richard the first King of England together with the French King and the King of Sicilia did go in person with their Armies to Ierusalem but although they wonne many things from the Infidels yet the end was that the Saracens did retaine the HOLY LAND Roger Hoveden in the Life of Henry the second King of England doth give this memorable note that at that time when the City of Ierusalem and Antioch were taken out of the hands of the Pagans by the meanes of Godfrey of Bullen and others of his Company the Pope of Rome that then was was called Urbanus the Patriach of Ierusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Fredericke and at the same time when the said Ierusalem was recovered again by Saladine the Popes name was Urbanus the Patriarke Ierusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Fredericke The whole Countrey and City of Jerusalem are now in the dominion of the Turke who notwithstanding for a great tribute doth suffer many Christians to abide there There are now therefore two or more Monasteries and Religious houses where Fryars do abide and make a good commodity of shewing the Sepulchre of Christ and other Monuments unto such Christian Pilgrims as do use superstitiously to go in pilgrimage to the Holy Land The King of Spaine was wont to call himselfe King of Jerusalem Of Arabia NExt unto the Holy Land lieth the great Country of Arabia having on the North part Palestina and Mesopotamia on the East side the Gulph of Persia on the South the maine Ocean of India or Ethiopia on the West Egypt and the great Bay called Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea This Countrey is divided into three parts North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta the South part which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix and the middle betweene both that which for the abundance of Rocks and stones is called Arabia Petrea or Petrosa The Desart of Arabia is that place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by passing thorow the Red Sea did keep his people under Moses for
Alexandria in Egypt and from thence dispersed into Christendome by the Venetians which spices and Apothecaries drugs are found to be farre worse than before time they were by reason of the great moisture which they take on the water by reason of the long navigation of the Portugals by the back parts of Africa This is the sea through the which Solomon did send for his gold and other precious Merchandise unto the East Indies and not to the West-Indies as some lately have disputed Whereout the vanity of that opinion may appeare that America and the West Indies were known in the time of Solomon For if he had sent thither his course had been along the Mediterranean and through the straits of Gibraltar commonly called Fretum Herculium between Spain Barbary But the Scripture telleth that the Navy which Solomon sent forth was built at Ezion Geber which is there also said to stand on the Red Sea So his course might be East-ward or South-ward and not West-ward In the Desart of Arabia is the Mount Horeb which by some is supposed to be the same that is called Mount Sinai where they think it was that Abraham should have offered up his sonne Isaac But this is certaine that it is the place where God in the wildernesse did give unto the people of Israel his Law of the ten Commandements in thundering lightning and great earth quake in most fearefull manner Of Africke and Egypt FRom Arabia and Palestina toward the West 〈◊〉 A fricke having on the North side from the one end of it to the other the Mediterranean sea The greatest p rt of which Coun try although it hath been guessed at by Writers in former time yet because of the great heat of it lying for the most part of it under the Zona Torrida and or the Wildernesses therein it was in former time supposed by many not to be much inhabited but of certainty by all to be very little discovered till the Portugals of late began their navigation on the backe side of Africa to the East Indies So exact a description is therefore not to be looked for as hath been of Asia and Europe Joining to the Holy Land by a little Istmos in the Countrey of Egypt which is a land as fruitful as any almost in the world although in these daies it doth not answer to the fertilty of former times This is that which in the time of Joseph did relieve Canaan with corne and the family of Jacob which did so multiply in the land of Egypt that they were grown to a huge multitude when God by Moses did deliver them thence This Countrey did yield exceeding abundance of corne unto the City of Rome whereupon Egypt as well as Sicilia was commonly called Horreum populi Romani It is observed from all antiquity that almost never any raine did fall in the land of Egypt Whereupon the raining with thunder and lightning and fire running on the ground was so much more strange when God plagued Pharaâ—…h in the daies of Moses But the flowing of the River Nilus over all the Countrey their Cities onely and some few hils excepted doth so water the Earth that it bringeth forth fruit abundantly The flowing of which river yearly is one of the greatest miracles of the world no man being able to yield a sufficient and assured reason thereof although in Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus many probable causes and opinions are assigned thereof That there doth not use any rain to fall in Egypt besides other heathen testimonies and experiences of Travellers may be gathered out of the Scripture for in the 10 Chapter of Deuteronomy God doth make an Antithesis between the Land of Canaan and Egypt saying that Egypt was watered as a man would water a garden of herbes that is to say by the hand But they should come into a Land which had hills and mountaines and which was watered with the raine of Heaven and yet some have written that ever now and then there is mists in Egypt which yield though not raine yet a pretty dew It is noted of this River that if in ordinary places it doe flow under the height of fifteen cubits that then for want of moisture the earth is not fruitfull and if it doe flow above seventeen cubits that there is like to be a dearth by reason of the abundance of moisture the water lying longer on the Land than the inhabitants do desire It is most probably conjectured that the falling and melting of snow from those hils which be called Lunae Montes do make the increase of the River Nilus And the custome of the people in the Southerne parts of Arabia is that they do receive into ponds and dams the water that doth hastily fall and the same they let out with sluces some after some which causeth it ordinarily to come down into the plaines of Egypt For the keeping up of these Dammes the Countrey of Egypt hath time out of mind paid a great tribute to Prester-John Which when of late it was denied by the Turke Prester John caused all the sluces to be let go on the sudden whereby he marveliously annoied and drowned up a great part of the Countrey of Egypt In Egypt learning hath been very ancient but especially the knowledge of Astronomy and Mathematicks whereof before the time of Tully their Priests would report that they had the discent of 1500 yeares exactly recorded with observations Astrological which as it is a fable unlesse they do reckon their yeares by the Moone as some suppose they did every month for a year so it doth argue knowledge to have been among them very ancient Their Priests had among them a kinde of writing and describing of things by picture which they did call their Hieroglyphica This in times past was a Kingdome and by the Kings thereof were built those great Pyramides which were held to be one of the seven wonders of the world being mighty huge buildings erected of exceeding height for to shew the magnificence of their founders There is part of two or three of them remaining unto this day Divers learned men are at this day of opinion that when the children of Israel were in Egypt and so oppressed by Pharaoh as is mentioned in the beginning of the booke of Exodus their labour in burning of bricke was partly imployed to the erecting of some of those Pyramides but the scripture doth onely mention walling of Cities The founders of these Pyramides were commonly buried in or under them and it is not unfit to remember that the Kings and great men of Egypt had much cost bestowed upon them after they were dead For in as much as Arabia was neare unto them whence they had most precious balmes and other costly Spices they did with charge embalme their dead and that with such curious art that the flesh thereof and the skin will remaine unputrified for divers hundred years and all learned men
A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD WHEREIN Is particularly described all the Monarchies Empires and Kingdoms of the same with their Academies AS ALSO Their severall Titles and Scituations thereunto adjoyning Written by the Reverend Father in God George Abbot late Archbishop of Canterbury The Fifth Eddition LONDON Printed for Margaret Sheares at the Blew Bible in Bedford-Street in Coven-Garden and John Playâ—…ere at the White-Beare in the upper Walk in the New-Exchange 1664. A Briefe Description of the whole World THe Globe of the Earth doth either shew the Sea or Land The Sea general is called by the name or Ocean which coasteth all the World and taketh his name in speciall either of the place neare which it commeth as Oceanus Britanicus Mare Germanicum Sinus Perficus Mare Atlanticum of the Hill Atlas in the West part of Africke or of the finder out as Fretum Magellanicum or of some other accident as the Red Sea because the sand is red Mare Mediterraneum because it runneth between the lands of Europe and Africke Mare Icarium because Icarus was drowned there or the like There be some few Seas which have no intercourse with the Ocean as Mare Mortuum neare Palestina Mare Caspium sive Hircanum not far from Armenia and such a one is said to be in the North part of America The Straits or Narrow Seas are noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum as Fretum Britannicum The English Narrow Seas Fretum Herculeum the Straights between Barbary and Spaine Fretum Magellanicum c. The Earth is either Islands which are those which are wholly compassed by the Sea as Britannia Sicilia Corsica or the Continent which is called in the English The firme Land in the Latine Continens The old known firme Land was contained only in Asia Europe and Africa Europe is divided from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea from Asia by the River Tanais whereby appeareth that the North parts of Asia and Europe in old time were but little known and discovered Africa is divided from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea from Asia by the River Nilus and so Asia by Tanais and Nilus is severed from Europe and Africke Of Spaine TO say nothing of England and Ireland the most Westerne Country of Europe is Spaine which is bounded on the South with the Mediterranean on the West with the Atlanticke on the North with Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish Seas on the East with France from which it is severed with certaine Mountaines called Montes Pyrenei or the Pyrenay hils If we should enquire into the times that were before the comming of the Carthaginians and Romans into Spaine we shall find nothing but that which is either fabulous or neare to sables here it was first called Iberia ab Ibero flumine afterwards Hispania ab Hispane we may take as a tradition but their Gargoris their Ha bis their Geryon exceed beleefe of any but those that will take all reports on trust It is certain that the Syrians planted a Colony there in the Isle of Gades corruptly now called Cadiz or Cales These troubled by their Neighbours desired aid of the Carthaginians a flourishing neighbour Common-wealth descended of the Syrians as well as themselves who sent first to defend the Gaditanes against their neighbours afterwards heartned on by their successe in their first Expedi tion these Carthaginians succes sively sent thither three Captaines Hamilcar Hasdrubal and Hanibal who for the most part subdued the Province and held it till by Scipio's and the Romans Forces they were dispossessed of it Yet for many years after the fortunes of the Romans stuck as it were in the subduing of that Province so that from the time of â—…he second Punick war untill the time of Augustus they had businesse made them in that Country continually neiâ—…her could they till then bring it peaceably into the forme of a Province It continued a Province of the Roman Empire untill the time of Honorius the Emperour in whose dayes the Vandals came into it conquering and making it theirs then the Goths the Vandals either driven out or called over into Africk entring erected there a Kingdome which flourished for many yeares till by the comming of the Saracens and Moores their Kingdome was broken who setling themselves in Spaine erected it a Kingdome changed the names of many places and Rivers and gave them new names such as they retaine to this day and continued for the space of some hundred of yeares mighty in that Countrey till they were first subdued by Ferdinand afterwards and that now lately utterly expelled by Philip the Third After the comming in of these Africans in this Country there were many Kingdomes as the Kingdome of Portugall toward the West the Kingdome of Granado toward the South the Kingdom of Navarre and Arragon toward the East and the Kingdome of Castile in the middle of the Land but the whole Dominion is now under the King of Spaine As Damalanus à Goes doth write in the Treatise intituled Hispania there were in times past twelve severall Kingdomes in Spain which he nameth thus Castellae antiquae novae Leonis Aragoniae Portugalliae Navarrae Granatae Valentiae Toleti Galitiae Algarbiâ—…rum Murtiae Cordubae which is not to be wondred at since in England a farre lesse Country there were in the time of the Saxons seven severall Kingdoms and Monarchies In the best Maps of Spaine the Armes of these severall Kingdomes do yet distinctly appeare where for the Armes of Leons is given a Lion which manifestly argueth that whereas by some it is called Regnum Legionis that name is false for it is Leonis surable thereunto for the Armes of Castile is given a Castle which was the cause that John of Gaunt Son to Edward the Third King of England did quarter with the Armes of England the Castle and the Lion as having married Constance Daughter to Peter King of Castile and at this day the first and chief Coat of the King of Spain is a Castle quartered with a Lion in remembrance of the two Kingdomes of Castile and Leons In Corduba as in times past it was called standeth Andaluzia neare unto which the Island called properly Gades but since by depravation of the word Cadiz and commonly Cales which was lately surprized by the English The Kingdome of Granada which lieth nearest to the Mediterranean was by the space of seven hundred years possessed by the Moores and Saracens who do professe the Reâ—…igion of Mahomet the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third book of history doth shew to be this that whereas the Sarazens after Mahomets time had spread themselves all along Africke even unto the Westerne part of Barbary a King of Spaine called Rodericus employed in an Embassage to them one Julian a Nobleman of his who by his wise Demeanour procured much Reputation amongst the Moores but in the time of his service the King Rodericus
divers Rivers which run on both sides of it into the Adriaticke and Tyrrhene or Tuscane Seas As in other Countries so in Italy in times past there were divers severall people and severall Provinces like our Shires in England and so there be at this day but the main division of Italy is properly into four parts as in our age we doe account it The first Lombardy which lyeth to the North. The second Tuscane which boundeth toward the Mediterranean Sea which way Corsica the Iland lieth The third is the Land of the Church which is the Territory of the Bishop of Rome and containeth in it that which is called Romania The fourth is Naples and in this division now is all Italy comprehended The North part of this Italy is that which in ancient time was called Gallia Togata or Gallia Cisalpina inhabited then by French men It is now called Longobardia or Lombardia wherein stand many rich Governments as the Dukedome of Millain of Mantua of Florence others It is for the pleasantness thereof in respect of the soile aire waters and great variety of wines and fruits likened now by some to Paradice or the Garden of God In this Italy which was heretofore one entire Government in the flourishing estate of the Romans are now many absolute States and Princedomes by the great policy oâ—… the Bishop of Rome who thought it the best way to make himselfe great to weaken the Empire So he hath not only driven the Emperor out of all Italy into Germany but â—…ath diminished his Majesty in both by making so many petty Governments which hold themselves soveraigne Rulers without relation to any other As there are many States in Italy so one of the chiefest are the Venetians called Resp Venetorum or the State of Venice because they are not governed by any one but by their Senate and Gentlemen although whey have a Duke with those stampe their mony is coined and in whose name all their executions of Justice are done But this Duke is every way limited by the State This City of Venice which joineth to a corner of Lombardy standeth in Estuarium or shallow of Earth in the North part of the Adriaticke Sea so safely that it is held invincible There is in it but one street of firme Land into the other the Sea doth flow at every tide They have been a great and rich State not only possessing much in Italy as Paduâ—… their University and other things which still they do but a great part of Illyricum and many rich Ilands in the Mediterranean as Candy called commonly Creta Cyprus Zazinthus and others But Cyprus was taken from them a little before that fight at sea wherein Don John of Austria together with the Venetians had so renowned a victory against the Turke at the fight neer Lepanto The impoverishing of their State hath partly been by the incroaching of the Turk but especially by the decaying of that Traffick which they had to Alexandria in Egypt for their spices and other riches of Persia Arabia and the East Indies since the course of the Portugals to those Eastern Countries hath been by Sea by the backside of Africa These Venetians which in times past were great Warriours do now altogether decline enmity or hostility with all other Princes adjoyning and therefore by all meanes do take up quarrels and cease controversies by wisdome and patience temporising with the Turke the King of Spaine and the Emperour who are most like to offend them The manner of their Government and the excellent course which they have in chusing their Duke is written by Contarenus and some others of their Country-men When they do make any warres they seldome send forth any General of their own but entertaine some Prince of Italy who is renowned for the wars In Lombardy standeth also the Dukedome of Millain a most rich and pleasant thing which sometime had bin govern'd by a Duke of their own but of late hath been possessed by the Spaniard sometime by the French and is now in the Government possession of the K. of Spain In Tuscany the Chiefe City and Commander of all the rest is Florence where is supposed to be the best Language of Italy called the vulgar Italian and the most circumspect policy of all the Governments of Christendome which hath much bin increased since the time of Machiavel who was Secretary or Recorder to that State This was in times past â—… free City but of late by the policy of the Family of the Medices it is brought under the subjection of a Duke which raigâ—…eth as an absolute Prince and by little and little hath so incroched on his own Citizens and Neighbours round about him that he hath gotten to be called and that not unworthily Magnus Dux Hetruriae or the great Duke of Tuscany A great part of the rising of the Family of the Medices which are now Dukes of Florence may be ascribed to the cunning carriage of themselves but it hath been much advanced forward by their felicity in having two Popes together of that house which were Leo the Tenth and Clement the Seventh who by all means labored to stablish the Governments of their Country upon their Kindred and it made not the least accesse thereunto that affinity was contracted by them with the Kings of France when Kâ—…erine de Medicâ—…s Neece to Pope Clement the Seventh was married to the younger Sonne fo Francis the first whose Elder brother dying that younger came to be King of France by the name of Henry the 2d. for as in the time of her husband she laid the foundation of her aspiring so after the death of the said husband when she bare the name of the Queen Mother This Queen Mother swayed all at her pleasure in France during the successive reigne of her three Sons Francis the second Charls the ninth and Henry the third in all which time no doubt she promoted Florence and the Florentines to her uttermost A good part of Italy is under the Bishop of Rome which is commonly called The land of the Church where the Pope is a Prince absolute not onely Spiritual as elsewhere he claimeth but also Temporall making Lawes requiring Tribute raising Souldiers and executing Justice as a Monarch The Bishops of Rome do pretend that Constantine the Great did bestow upon them the City of Rome together with divers other Cities and Towns near adjoyning and the Demeans of them all to be as the Patrimony of Saint Peter as many times they do tearme it But Laurentius Valla in his set Treatise of this Argument hath displaied the falshood of that pretence and iâ—… truth the Greatness of the Popes hath risen first by Phocas who killing his Master the Emperour of Rome and being favoured by the Bishop of that Sea and so aspiring himself to the Empire did in recompence thereof suffer the Bishop of Rome to be preclaimed Universal Bishop
and of likelyhood gave unto him somewhat to maintaine his Estate And afterward King Pâ—…pin oâ—… France and Charls the Great his Son getting by means of the sâ—…d Bishop the Kingdome of France and the one of them to the Empire did bestow good possessions upon the Papacy and since that time the Popes have had so much wit as by destruction of the Princes of Italy by encroaching on the favour of others the great Monarchs of Europe and by their waries and other devices to keep and encrease that Land of the Church which in our time is well inlarged by the policy of Clement the 8. late Pope who hath procured that the Dukedome of Ferrara is or shall be shortly added to his Dominion The chief residence of the Bishop of Rome is Rome it self which was first founded by Râ—…mulus and afterward so increased by others who succeeded him that it was built upon 7. hils and hath had onely raigning in it 7. Kings and hath been ruled by 7. severall sorts of Chiefe government that is Kings Consuls Decâ—…m-viri Tribunes of the People Dictators Emperours and Popes They first incroached on the neighbours about them in Italy afterward on all Italy Sicily some of the â—…ands till at length it proved to be the Lady and chiefe Mistress of the world whose incredible wealth and greatness in men treasure shipping and armor was so huge that it did eveâ—… sink under the weight of it self Whereupon after divers civill wars as between Marius and Sylla Pompey and Caesar with oâ—…hers it was at length revoked unto one absolute and Imperiall Government The Majesty whereof notwithstanding was afterward somewhat impaired by the building of Constantinople which was erected or rather inlarged by Constantine the Great and called Nova Râ—…ma But when the division was made of the East and West Empire it received a greater blow yet the maine overthrow of it was when the Gothi and Vandals entred Italy sacked it and possessed it at their own pleasure so that it was for a time almost quite forsaken and had no inhabitants till the Bishops of Româ—… did make means to gather together some to people it again and since those times a good part of the old building upon the Hils hath beeâ—… quite decaied and ruiâ—…ated and thâ—…t Rome which now may be called in comparison of the old new Rome is built on a lower ground where the place was which in times past was termed Campus Martius very neer unto Tyber the River which too well appeareth by the sudden inundation of that Tyber destroying and spoiling Men Cattell and Houses as very lately to their great losse was experimented The Bishops of Rome as sometimes for their pleasure or profit they do withdraw themselves unto 〈◊〉 or some other Townes of Italy so the time was when they removed their Court unto Avignon a City in France standing near the Mediterranean sea and not far from Mersiles in Province where continuing for the space of seventy years they so afflicted the City of Rome for lâ—…cke of resort which is very great when the Pope is there that the Italians to this day do remember that time by the name of the Captivity of Babylon which continued as appeareth by the Scripture for seventy years Who so looketh on the description laid down by the Holy Ghost in the Revelation shall see that the Whore of Babylon there mentioned can be understood of no place but the City of Rome In the South part of Italy lyeth the Kingdome of Naples which is a Country very rich and full of all kind of pleasure abundant in Nobility whereof commeth to be said that Proverb Naples for 〈◊〉 Rome for Religion Millain for beauty Florence for Policy and Venice for Riches This was heretofore ruled by a King of their owne till the time of Joan Queen of Naples who by deed of gift did first grant that Kingdom to the Kings of Arragon in Spaine and afterwards by will with a Revocation of the former Grant did bequeath it to the house of Anjâ—…u in France Since which time the Kingdome of Naples hath sometimes been in the hands of the Spaniard sometimes possessed by the French and is now under the King of Spaine unto this is annexed also the Dakedome of Calabria This Kingdome of Naples lieth so neare to some part of Graecia which is now in possession of the Turke that iâ—… may justly be feared lest at some time or other the said Turk should make an invasion thereinto as indeed he hath offered divers times â—…nd sometimes hath landed men to the great terror of all Italy but for the preventing of that mischief the King of Spaine is inforced to keep a good Fleet of Gallies continually at Otranto where is the neerest passage fâ—…om Italy into Greece This part of Italy was it which in times past was named Magna Graecia but in â—…ter ages it hath been unproperly called one of the Sicilies which was reproved long since by Aeneus Silvius in his twelfth Epistle and yet till of late time the Kings of Spaine have been termed Kings of boâ—…h â—…he Siciliâ—…s There be moreover in Italy many other Princedomes and States 〈◊〉 the Dukedom of Ferrara the Dukedome of Mantua the Dukedome of Urbine the Dukedome of Parma and Placentia the State of Luca the State of Genua commonly called the Genowaies which are 〈◊〉 by their Senate but have a Dâ—…ke as they have at Venice There be also sâ—…me others by which meanes the glâ—…ry and strength of Italy is decayed Of Denmarke Sweden and Norway AS Italy lieâ—…h on the Sâ—…uel side of Germany so Denmarke lieth on the North iâ—…to the middle of which Land the sea breakeâ—…h in by a place called the Sound The Impost of which passâ—…ge 〈◊〉 gâ—…eat riches as an ordinary Tribuâ—…e unto the Kiâ—…g of Denmarke This is a Kingdome and ruled by an absolute Goveâ—…nour Oâ—… the North and East side of Denmarke lieth Suezia commonly caâ—…led Swâ—…den or Swetheâ—… which is also a Kingdome of it self Where the King professeth himself to be Rex Suecorum Gothorum Vandalorum whereby we may know that the Gâ—…thes and Vandals which in times past did waste Italy and other Nations of Christendome did come out of this Countrey This whole Countrey which containeth in it 〈◊〉 Suâ—…zia and some part of Denmarke is Peninsula being very much compassed about with the Sea and this is it which in Olâ—…s Magnus Joannes Magnus is termed Archiepiscoâ—… us Upsalensis as also in some of the 〈◊〉 ancient Writers is called Sâ—…aÌ„dinavia on the North aâ—…d Weâ—…t side of Sweden lieth Norâ—…egia or Norway which is at this day under the Governmeâ—…t of the King of Denmarke alâ—…hough heretofore it hath been a â—…ee Kingdâ—…me of it self Beyond Norway toward Russia on the Northern sea lieth â—…via beyond that Biarmia then Happia or Hapland a poor and cold Countreâ—… neare Sinâ—…s Bâ—…ddicus whereof there is little to be spoken but that it is said to be
Lapland Biarmia and thereabouts they are people so rude and heathenish that as Olaus Magnus writeth of them looke whatsoever living thing they doe see in the morning at their going out of their doors yea if it be a bird or a worm or some such other creeping thing they do yield a Divine Wâ—…ship and Reverence thereunto for all that day as if it were some inferiour God Damianus à Goes hâ—…th written a pretty Treatise describing the manner of those Lappians The greatest part of the Country of Russia is in the winter so exceeding cold that both â—…he Rivers are frozen over the land covered with snow and such is the sharpnesse of the aire that if any go abroad bare-faced it causeth their flesh in a short time to rot which befalleth to the fingers and toes of divers of them therefore for a great part of winter they live in stoves and hot-houses and if they be occasioned to go abroad they use many furs whereof there is great plenty in that Country as also wood to make fire but yet in the summer time the face of the soyle and the aire is very strangely altered insomuch that the Countrey seemeth hot the birds sing very merrily and the trees grasse and coâ—…n in a short spâ—…ce do appear so chearfully green and pleasant that it is scant to be beleeved but of them which have seen it Their building is most of wood even in the chiefe City of Mosco insomuch that the Tartars who lie in the North-east of them breaking oft into their Countries even unto the very Mosco do set fire on their Cities which by reason of their woodden buildings are quickly destroyed The manner of government which of late years hath been used in Russia is very barbarous and little less than tyrannous for the Emperour that last was did suffer his people to be kept in great servility and permitted the Rulers and chief Officers at their pleasures to pil and ransack the common sort but to no other end but that himself might take occasion when he thought good to call them in question for their misdemeanor and so fill his own coffers with flee cing of them which was the same course the old Roman Empire did use calling the Deputies of the Provinces by the name of Spunges whose property is to suck up water but when it is full then it selfe is crushed and yi ldeth forth liquor for the behalfe of another The passage by Sea into this country which was wont to be through the Sound and so afterward by land was first discovered by the English who with great danger of the frozen Seas did first adventure to saile so far North as to compass Lapland Finmark Scricfinia Biarmia and so passing to the East by Nova Zembla halfe the way almost to Cathaio have entred the River called Ob by which they disperse themselves for Merchandize both by water and land into the most parts of the dominion of the Emperor of Russia The first attempt which was made by the English for the entrance of Moscovia by the North seas was in the daies of King Edw. the sixt at which time the Merchants of London procuring leave of the King did send forth Sir Hugh Willoby with shipping and men who went so far toward the North that he Coasted the corner of Scricfinia Biarmia and so turned toward the East but the wheather proved so extream the snowing so great and the freezing of the water so vehement that his ship was set fast in the ice and there he his people were frozen to death and the next year some other comming from England found both the ship and their bodies in it and a perfect Remembrance in writing of all things which they had done and dis covered where amongst the rest mention was made of a land which they had touch'd which to this day is known by the name of Sir Hugh Willobies Land The Merchants of London did not desist to pursue this discovery but have so far prevailed as that they have reached one halfe of the way toward the East part of Chyna and Cathaio but the whole passage is not yet opened This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominions in the world both for compasse of ground for multitude of men saving that it lyeth far North and so yieldeth not pleasure for good Traffick with many other of the best situated nations Among other things which do argue the magnificence of the Emperour of Russia this one is recorded by many who have travelled into those parts that when the great Duke is disposed to sit in his magnificence besides great store of Jewels and abundance of massie plate both of Gold and Silver which is openly shewed in his Hall there do sit as his Princes and great Nobles cloached in very rich and sumptuous attyre divers men ancient for their yeares very seemly of countenance and grave with white long beards which is a goodly shew besides the rich state of the thing But Olaus Magnus a man well experienced in those Northern parts doth say how truely I cannot tell that the manner of their sitting is a notable fraud and cunning of the Russian in as much as they are not men of any worth but ordinary Citizens of the gravest and seemliest countenance which against such a solemnity are picked out of Mosco and other places adjoining and have robes put on them which are not their own but taken out of the Emperours Wardrobe Of Spruce and Poland IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a Countrey called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Spruce of whom little is famous saving that they were governed by one in a kinde of order of Religion whom they call the Grand-Master and that they are a meanes to keep the Moscovite and the Turke from some other parts of Christend me This Country is now grown to be a Dukedome and the Duke thereof doth admit traffick with our English who going beyond the Hance Townes do touch upon his country and amongst other things doe bring from thence a kinde of leather which was wont to be used i Jerkins and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins On the Eâ—…t side â—… Germany between Russia and Germany â—…eth Polonia or Poland which is a â—…gdome diffeâ—…ing from others 〈◊〉 Europe because the King there is â—…osen by Election out of some of the Princes neere adjoining as laâ—…ely Henry the third King of France These Elections oftenâ—…mes doe make great factions there so that in taking parts they grow often there into Civill warre The King of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscovite who lyeth in the East and North-East of him or with the Turke who liâ—…th on the South and South Eâ—…st and someâ—…imes also with the Princes of Germany whereupon the Poles doe commonly desire to chule warriours to their King In this
Calecut and others Of Persia. THere be divers Countries between India and Persia but there are not famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth far West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy Land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the main Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Perficus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they that tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchy and did set up in their Countrey the second great Empire which began under Cyrus and continued unto that Darius who was overthrown by Alexander the Great In this Countrey reigned the great Kings Cyrus Cambyses Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerrxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Egyptians and Grecians and in the Scripture for the delivery of the Jews from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the 〈◊〉 Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentio ed of them in the Prophency of Daniel The 〈◊〉 of this Nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians they have grown great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romans so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull Neighbours to the Romane Government and of late Time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the daies of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now reigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persians going so farre with his Army as that he took the strong City Taunus standing within the Persians Dominions neer unto the Caspian sea but this losse was to be attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did overthrow the Persian although he slew down many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback and are governed as in time past by a King so now by an absolute Ruler and a mighty Prince whom they terme the Shaw or Sophy of Persia. He hath many Countries and small Kings in Assyria and Media and the Countries ad joning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the Persian who procured unto himself great fame by his many and valorous attempts against the Turk Surius in his Commentaries writting upon him saith that upon some fond conceit the Jewes were strongly of opinion that he was that Messias whom unto this day they expect and therefore hoped that he should have been their Deliverer and Advancer But he addeth in his report that it fell out so clean contrary that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them than that Ismail did The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in Religion beleeving in Mahomet but as Papists and Protestants do differ in opinion concerning the same Christ so do the Turks and Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as Herericks with most deadly hatred insomuch that there is in this respect almost cominâ—… all war between the Turk and the Persians Of Parthia and Media ON the North-East side of Persia lieth that Countrey which in old time was called Parthia but now named Arach of whom those great wars of the Romans with the Medians or Armenians in Tacitus and ancient Histories are true This Country aboundeth on Media by the West and it was in ancient time very full of people whose fight as it was very much on horseback so the manner of them continually was for to give an Onset and then to return their waies even to return again like to the Wild-Irish so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them These were the people that gave the great Overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome who by reason of his covetousnesse intending more to his getting of gold than to the guiding of his Army was stain himself and many thousand of the Romanes The Parthians with exprobration of his thirst after money poured molten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these the great Lucullus fought many battles but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection On the West side of Parthia having the Mare Caspium on the North Armenia on the West and Persia on the South lyeth that Country which in time past was called Media but now Shirvan or Sirvan which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes which are tributaries and do owe subjection to the Sophi of Persia. So that he is the Soveraign Lord of all Media as our English men have found who passing through the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia have crossed the Mare Caspium and Merchandized with the Inhabitants of this Media This Nation in former times was very famous for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them which as in themselves it was not great yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians it was very mighty and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Here it was that Astyages reigned the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius of the Mâ—…des The chief City of this Kingdome was called Ecbatana as the chief City of Persia was Babylon It is to be observed of the Kings of Media that in the summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana for avoiding of the heat but in the winter time they came down more South unto Susis which as it seemeth was a warmer place but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities and chiefe residences of the King of Media which being known takes away some confusion in old stories The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia. Of Armenia and Assyria ON the West side of the Mare Caspium and of Media lyeth a Countrey called by a generall name Armenia which by some is distinctly divided into three parts The North part whereof being but little is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania the third part by the proper name of Armenia By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers Writers Some saying that the Countrey whence the Turkes first came was Armenia some saying Turcomania and some Georgia the truth being that out of one or all these Countries they did descend These Turks are supposed to be the issue of them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certain mountaines neer to the Mare Caspium There is this one thing memorable in Armenia that after the great
for the convenience of the Sea every way and so many good Havens hath been reputed alwaies a very commodious and pleasurefull Countrey It is wholly at this day under the Turke The mountaine Taurus goeth along from the West unto the East part of it The greatnesse of this Countrey is such that it hath comprehended many Kingdomes and large Provinces besides Cities of great fame On the South-East part thereof neare to Palestina lyeth Cilicia the chiefe City whereof is Tarsus the Countrey of Saint Paul the place whither Solomon sent for great store of his gold and provision for the Temple whither Jonas also fled when he should have gone to Niniveh In the straits of the Cilicia neare to the mountaine Taurus did Alexander give a great overthrow in person to Darius in the joining of their first battell This place seemes to have been very fortunate for great Fights in as much as there also neare unto the straits was the baâ—…ell fought out between Severus the Emperour and Niger who being Governour of the Romanes of Syria would needs have aspired to the Empire but in a battell which was very hardly fought out he was overthrown in the straits of Cilicia In the very corner where Cilicia is joined unto the upper part of Syria is a little Bay which in times past was named Sinus Isicus near unto which Alexander built one of his Cities which he called by his own name But howsoever in times past it was named Alexandria it is now by the Venetians and other Christians called Alexandretta who should say little Alexandria in comparison of the other In Egypt the Turkes do call it Scandarond and it is a petty Haven where our Merchants do land most of their goods which are afterwards by Camels carried up to Aleppo At this day the City is so decayed that there be onely a few houses there Westward from Cilicia lieth the Province called Pamphylia wherein stands the City Seleucia built by Seleuchus one of the foure great successours of Alexander the Great On the West of this Pamphylia standeth Lycia and more west from thence confining upon the I le of Rhodes is Caria one of the Sea-Townes whereof is Halicarnassus which was the Countrey of Herodotus who is one of the most ancient Historians that is extant of the Gentiles and who dedicated his nine bookes to the honour of the Muses Here also was that Dionysius borne who is called commonly Dionysius Halicarnassus one of the Writers of the Romane Story for the first three hundred yeares after Rome was built The whole Countrey of Caria is sometimes signified by the name of this Halicarnassus although it was but one City and thereupon Artemisia who in the dayes of Xerxes came to aid him against the Graecians and behaved her selfe so manfully in a great fight at sea when Xerxes stood by as a coward is intituled by the name not of Queen of Caria but of Halicarnassus Also in the daies of Alexander the Great there was another Queen named Ada who also is honoured by the title of Queen of Halicarnassus We have thus farre described those Cities of Asia the lesse which do lie from that part that joineth unto Syria along the Sea coast Westward but being indeed the Southern part of Asia minor Now upwards towards the North standeth Ionia where those did dwell who had like to have joined with Xerxes in the great battell at sea but that Themistocles by a policy did winne them from him to take part with the Grâ—…cians Diodorus Siculus writeth that the Athenians who professed to be of kin to those Ionians were on a time marvellous importunate with them that they should leave their own Country and come and dwell with them which when the Ionians hardly but yet at length did accept the Athenians had no place to put them in and so they returned with great disgrace to them both A little within the Land lying North and East from Ionium was Lydia which sometimes was the Kingdome of Croesus who was reputed so rich a King when he was in his prosperity making best of his happinesse he was told by Solon that no man could reckon upon felicity so long as he lived because there might be great mutability of Fortune which he after ward found true For he was taken prisoner by Cyrus who was once minded to have put him to death but hearing him report the advertisement of Solon formerly given to him he was moved to thinke that it might be his own case and so took pity on him and spared his life These Lydians being inhibited afterward by Cyrus to use any Armour and give themselves to Bathes and Stewes and other such effeminate things Upon the sea-coast in Ionia standeth the City Ephesus which was one of the seven Cities unto which John in his Revelation did write hiâ—… seven Epistles and Saint Paul also directed his Epistle to the Ephesi ans unto the Church which was in this place This was one of the most renowned Cities of Asia the lesse but the Fame thereof did most arise from the Temple of Diana which was there built and was reputed for the magnificence thereof one of the seven wonders of the world This Temple was said to be two hundred yeares in building and was burnt seven severall times whereof the most part was by lightning and the finall destruction thereof came by a base person called Herostratus who to purchase himself some fame did set it on fire This was the place of which it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that all Asia and the whole World doe worship this Diana Tully reporteth De natura Deorum that Tinâ—…us being asked the reason why the Temple of Diana was on fire that night when Alexander the Great was born gave that jest thereof that the mistresse of it was from home because she being the Goddesse of Midwives did that night wait upon Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great who was brought to bed in Macedonia Another of the seven Cities unto which John did write is Smyrna standing also in Ionia upon the Sea coast but somewhat more North then Ephesus which is the place where Polycarpus was Bishop who sometimes had been Scholler unto Iohn the Evangelist and living till he was of great age was at lâ—…st put to death for Christs sake when before he had been moved by the Governour of the Countrey to deny his Sa viour and to burn Incense to an Idoll But he answered that â—…ourescore and six yeares he had served Christ Jesus and in all that time he had never done him harm and therefore now in his old age he would not beginne to deny him The third City unto which the Epistle is directed in the Apocalyps is Sardis which standeth within the land in Lydia as is described by the best Writers and it was a City both of great pleasure and profit unto the
Kings in whose Dominion it stood which may be gathered hereby that when once the Grecians had wonne it Durius Histaspis or Xerxes who were Kings of Persia did give charge that every day at dinner one speaking aloud should remember him that the Grecians had taken Sardis which intended that he never was in quiet till it might bee recovered again There stood also in the In-land Philadelphia Thyatina Laodicea and most of all to the North Pergamus which were the other foure Cities unto which St John the Evangelist did direct his Epistle Going upward from Ionium to the North there lyeth on the Sea-coast a little Country called Eolis and beyond that although not upon the Sea the two Provinces called Mysia Major and Mysia Minor which in times past were so base and contemptible that the people thereof were used in speech as a proverb that if a man would describe one meaner then the meanest it was said he was Mysiorum postremus On the West part of Mysia major did lye the Countrey called Troas wherein stood Ilium and the City of Troy against which as both Virgil and Homer have written the Grecians did continue their siege for the space of tenne yeares by reason that Paris had stollen away Helena the wife of Menelaus who was King of Sparta Eastward both from Troas and Mysia major a good space within the land was the Countrey called Phrygia where the Goddesse which was called Bona Dea or Pessinuntia or Cybele the mother of the old gods had her first abiding and from thence as Herodiaâ—… wrteth was brought to Rome as implying that good fortune should follow her thither In this Countrey lived that Gondius who knit the â—…ot called for the intricatenesse thereof Nodus Gordianus and when it could not be untied was cut in sunder by Alexander the Greâ—…t supposing that it should bee his fortune for the loosing of it so to be the Conquerour and King of Asia as by a prophecy of the same Gordius had been before spoken Yet North-ward from Phrygia lyeth the Countrey of Bythinia which was sometimes a Kingdome where Perusias raigned that had so much to do with the Romanes In this Countrey standeth the City Nicea where the first General Councill was held against Arius the Hereticke by Constantine the Great thereof called the Nicene Councilâ—… Here standeth also Chalcedon where the fourth Generall Councill was held by the Emperour Marcianus against the Heretick Nestorius From Bythinia Eastward on the North side of Asia the lesse standeth the Countrey of Paphlagonia where was the City built by Pompey the Great called by his name Pompeiopolis On the South of Paphlagonia toward the Iland of Asiâ—… minor diâ—… stand the Countrey of Galatia whereunto Saint Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galathians And this also was one of those Countries where the Iewes were dispersed unto which Saint Peter wrote his first Epistle as also unto them which were in Pontus Cappadocia and Bythinia from whence Southward lyeth the Province termed Lyeaoni And from thence yet more South bordering upon Pamphylia which touches the Mediterranean sea lyeth Pisidia concerning which Countries we find oftentimes mention made in such stories as do touch Asia the lâ—…sse From these Sourthern parts if we returne back againe unto the North and East of Asia major lieth the Kingdome of Pontus confining upon that which is named Pontus Euxinus In this Pontus did reigne Mithridates who in his younger daies had travelled over the greatest part of Asia and is reported to have been so skilfull that he could well speak more then twenty Languages His hatred was ever great towards the Romans against whom when he meant first to put his malice in practise he so combined with the Naturals of those parts that in one night they slew more than threescore and ten thousand of the Romans carrying their intendment so close that it was revealed by none till the execution was done Pompey the Great was the man who distressed this Mithridates and brought him to that extremity that he would gladly have poisoned himselfe but could not in as much as his stomack had been used so before unto that kind of Treacle which by reason of his inventing of unto this day is called Mithridate which is made of a kinde of poyson allaied that no venome would easily work upon him Southward from this Pontus standeth the old Kingdome of Cappadocia which in times past was observed to have many men in it but little money Whence Horace saith Mancipiis locuples eget aris Cappadocum Rex Eastward from this Cappadocia as also from Pontus is Armenia minor whereof the things memorable are described in the other Armenia And thus much touching Asia the lesse Of Syria and Palestina or the Holy Land SOuthward from Cilicia and Asâ—…a the lesse lyeth Syria a part whereof was called Palestina having on the East Mesopotamia on the South Arabia on the west Tyre and Sidon and the end of the Mediterranean Sea The people of this Syria were in times past called the Ardmites In their language is the translâ—…ion of the New Testament called Syriacke In this Countrey standed Anâ—… which was sometimes one of the ancient 〈◊〉 See and is a City of reckoning unto this day Here also standeth now the City of Aleppo which is a famous Mâ—…rt Towne for the Merchandizing oâ—… the Persians and others of the Eâ—…st and for the Turks and such Countries as be adjoining Here standeth â—…th also Tripolis The South part of Syria lying downe toward Egypt and Arabia was the place where the Children of Israel did dwell being a Country of small quantity not 200. Italian miles in length it was so fruitfull flowing with Milke and Honey as the Scripture calleth it that it did maintaine above thirty Kings and their people before the comming of the children of Israel out of Egypt and was sufficient afterwards to relieve the incredible number of the twelve Tribes of Israel It is noted of this Countrey that whereas by the goodnesse of the Climate wherein it stood and the fertility of the soyle but especially by the blessing of God it was the most fruitfull Lâ—…nd that was in the World Now ouâ—… Travellers by experience do finde the Countrey in respect of the fruitfulnesse to be changed Gâ—…d cursing the Land together with the Iewes the Inhabitants of it It is observed also for all the Easterne parts that they are not so fertile as they have been in former Ages the Earth as it were growing old which is an Argument of the Dessolution to come by the day of Judgement Through this Countrey doth run the River Jordan which hath heretofore been famous for the fruitfulnesse of the trees standing thereupon and for the mildnesse of the Aire so that as Josephus writeth when snow hath been in other places of the
think thousands of yeares Whereof experiments are plentifully at this day by the whole bodies hands or other parts which by Merchants are now brought from thence and doth make the Mummia which the Apothecaries use the colour being very black and the flesh clung unto the bones Moses doth speak of this when he saith that Jacob was embalmed by the Physicians after the manner of embalming of the Egyptians But this manner of embalming is ceased long since in Egypt In Egypt did stand the great City Memphis which at this day is called Caire one of the famous Cities of the East Here did Alexander build that City which unto this day is of his name ca led Alexandria being now the greatest City of Merchandized in all Egypt of which Ammianus Marcellinus doth observe that there was never any or almost have ever been but that once in the day the Sun hath been ever seen to shine over Alexandria This City was one of the four Patriarchall seas which were appointed in the first Niâ—…ene Councill This Countrey was governed by a King as long agoe as almost any Countrey in the World Here reigned Amasis who made those good Lawes spoken of by Herodotus and Diodorus Sioulus in whose writings the ancient customes of the Egyptians are worthy to bee read After Alexanders time Ptolomeus one of his Captaines had this Kingdome of whom all his successors were called Ptolomeis as before time all their Kings were called Pharaohs they continued long friends and in league with the people of Rome till the time of Julius Caesar but after wards they were subjects to the Romanes till the Empire did decay When they had withdrawne themselves from the Romanes government they set up a Prince of their owne whom they termed the Sultan or Souldan of Egypt of whom about 400 yeares since Saladine was one But when the race of these were out the Mamabucks who were the guard of the Sultaine as the Janizaries be to the Turke appointed a Prince at their pleasure till that now about an 100 yeares ago or lesse the Turk Solimus possessed himself with the sole government of the Countrey so that at this day Egypt is wholly under the Turke There be Christians that now live in Egypt paying their tribute unto the Turke as others do now also in Graecia Aeneas Sylvius doth report in his History de mundo universo cap 60. that divers did go about to dig through that little Istmos or strait which at the top of the Red Sea doth joyne Egypt to some part either of Arabia or of the Holy Land imagining the labour not to be great in as much as they conceived the space of ground to be no more then one thousand five hundred furlongs Sesostris the King of Egypt as he saith did first attempt this Secondly Darius the great Monarke of the Persians Thirdly Ptolomy one of the Kings of Egypt who drew a ditch a 100. foot broad 30. foot deep and 37. miles and a halfe long but when he intended to go forward he was forced to cease for fear of inundaiton and over-flowing the whole land of Egypt the Red Sea being found to be higher by three Cubites than the ordinary plaine of Egypt was But Pliny affirmeth that the digging was given over lest the Sea being let in should marre the water of Nilus which alone doth yield drinke to the Egyptians Pet. Maffaeus in his Indian story doth tell that there was a Portugal also that of late yeares had a conceit to have had this work finished that so he might have made the third part of the old known world Africa to have been an Iland compassed round with the Sea Men commonly in the description of Egypt do report that whole Country to stand in Africk but if we will speake exactly and repute Nilus to be the bound between Asia and Africa we must then acknowledge that the Easterne part of Egypt from Nilus and so forward to the Red Sea doth lye in Asia which is observed by Peter Martyr in that pretty Treatise of his Delegatione Babylonica Although this Country of Egypt doth stand in the selfe same Climat that Mauritania doth yet the inhabitants there are not black but rather dunne or tawny Of which colour Cleopatra was observed to be who by inticement so won the love of Julius Caesar and Antonie And of that colour do those runnagates by devices make themselves to be who go up and down the world under the name of Egyptians being indeed but counterfets and the refuse of rascality of many Nations Of Cyrene and Africke the lesse ON the West side of Egypt lying along the Mediterranean is a Country which was called in old time Cyrene wherein did stand that Oracle which was so famous in the time of Alexander the Great called by the name of the Temple or Oracle of Jupiter Hammon whither when Alexander did repaire as to take counsell of himselfe and his successe the Priests being before taught what they should say did flatteringly confesse him to be the Sonne of God and that he was to be adored so that as the Oracle of Delphos and some other were plaine delusions of Sathan who did raigne in that darke time of ignorance so this of Jupiter Hammon may be well supposed to be nothing else but a cousenage of the Priests In this Countrey and all neare about where the Oracle stood are very great wildernesses where did appeare to Alexander for foure daies journy neither Grasse Tree Water Man Bird nor Beast but onely a deep kind of Sand so that he was enforced to carry water with him for himself and his company and all other provision on Camels backs At this day this Countrey hath lost his old name and is reckoned as a part of Egypt and lieth under the Turke In dry Countries as in Africa and the Wildernesse of Arabia they have much use of Camels First because they can carry a huge burthen of water and other provision Secondly because that themselves will go a long time without drinke travelling as Solinus writeth foure daies together without it but then drinking excessively and that especially of muddy and puddle water And thirdly because that in an extremity those that travell with them do let them blood in a veine and sucke out the blood whereby as the owner is much relieved so the Camell is little the worse Westward from this Countrey along the Mediterranean lieth that which in ancient time was called Africa minor for as in Asia one part above another was by an ex cellencie called Asia or Asta the lesse so this part of Africa was termed by the Romanes sometimes Africa simply some Africke the lesse In this Countrey did stand that place so famous mentioned by Salust under the name of Philionorum aroe which was the bound in that time betweene Africke and Cyrene On the North and East part hereof in the Sea neere unto the shore was the Quick-sand which in times past did
but in Latin some terme him Prestiosus Johannes but the most part Presbyter Johannes writing of him As he is a Prince absolute so he hath also a Priest-like or Patriarchall function and jurisdiction among them This is a very mighty Prâ—…nce and reputed to be one of the greatest Emperors in the world What was known of this Countrey in former time was knowne under the name of Ethiâ—…pia but the voyages of the Portugals in these late daies have best described it The people therefore are Christians as is also the Prince but differing in many things from the West Church and in no sort acknowledging any supreme Prerogative of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they have retained Christianity even from the time of our Saviour being supposed to be converted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queen of Ethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Philip the Evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles Eusebius 〈◊〉 his Ecclesiasticall story doth make mention of this But they do to this daâ—… retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the 〈◊〉 their Converter not having any fuâ—…ther conference with the Apostle nor any else with him did receive the ceremonies of the Church imperfectly retaining Circumcision which among the Jewes was not aboli shed when he had conference with Philip. Within the dominion of Prester John are the mountaines commonly called Lunae montes where is the first well-spring and rising of the river Nilus yet there are that fetch the head of this River out of a certaine great Lake toward the South called Zembre out of which toward the West runnes the River of Zaire into the Kingdome of Mani-congo The Râ—…ver of Zuama or Cuama towards the South to the Kingdome of Monomoâ—…apa or Benomotapa as the River Nilus towards the North through the Kingdome of the Abissines to Egypt which River running violently along this Countrey and sometimes hastily increasing by the melting of much snow from the Mountaines would over-runne and drown a great part of Egypt but that it is slaked by many ponds dammes and sluces which are within the Dominion of Prester John And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Egypt have paid upto the Governour of the Abissines a great Tribute time out of mind which of late the great Turke supposing it to be a custome needlesse did deny till the people of the Abissines by commandement of their Prince did breake downe their dams and drowning Egypt did enforce the Turke to continue his pay and to give much money for the making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace In this Countrey also of Prester John is the rising of the famous River Nigar supposed to have in it the most and the best precious stones of any River in the World which rising likewise out of a great Lâ—…ke out of that Mount after it hath runne a good space hideth it self for the space of 60. miles under ground then appearing again after it hath runne somewhat further makes a great Lake and again after a great tract another and at last after a long course fals at Cape Verde into the Atlantick sea Ortelius in his larger Maps describes it falling into the Sea like Nilus in Egypt with seven streames or Ostia but those that travell these parts say that there are only some Bayes but there is no River in those parts running into the Sea but 〈◊〉 There be other Countries in Africke as Agâ—…simba Libia interior Nubia and others of whom nothing is famous but this may be said of Africke in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sorts of wild Beasts as Elephants Lyons Panthers Tygers and the like yea according to the Proverbe Africa semper aliquid oportet novi Oftentimes new and strange shapes of wild Beasts are brought forth there the reason whereof is that the Countrey being very hot a d full of Wildernesses which have in them little water the Beasts of all sorts being enforced to meet at those few watering places that be where oftentimes contrary kindes have conjunction the one with the other so that there arifeth a new kind of Species which taketh part of bo h. Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lyon and the Beast called Pardus and somewhat resembling ei her of them A d thus farre of Africke Of the Northern Ilands THE Ilands that do lye in the North aâ—…e in number almost infinite the chiefe of them only shall be briefly touched Very farre to the North in the same Climate also with Sweden that is under the circle Articke lyeth an Iland called in old time Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest part of the world North ward and therefore is called by Virgil Utima Thule The Countrey is cold the people barbarous and yielde hâ—… liâ—…tle commodity saving Hawkes in some part of the yeare there is no night at all Unto this land divers of our English Nation do yearely travel and do bring from thence good store of fish but especially our deepest and thickest Ling which are therefore called Isl nd â—…ings It hath pleased God that in these latter times the Gospell is there preached and the people are instracted in Christianity having also the knowledge of good Learning which is brought about by the meanes of the King of Sweden unto whom that Iland is now subject There is lately written by one of that Nation a pretty Treatise in Latine which describeth the manner of that Countrey and it is to be seen in the first Tome of Master Hackluits Voyage Southward from thence lyeth Frizeland called in Latine Frizlandia whereas the Frizeland joyning to Germany is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germany one of the seventeene Provinces is called Zealand which continueth in it divers Ilands in whom little is famous saving that in one of them is Flishen oâ—… Flushen a Town of war and Middleburge is another a place â—…f good Mart. Livinus Limnius and some of the low Germans be of opinion â—…hat this City was fiâ—…t built by Metellus the Roman and that which now is called Middlâ—…burge was at the first termed Metolli Burgum The States of the Low-Countries do hold this Province against the King of Spain These Ilands have been much troubled of late with inundation of water The Iland that lyeth most West of any Fame is Ireland which had in it heretofore many Kings of their own but the whole land is now annexed to the Crowne of England The people naturally are rude and superstitious the Country good and fruitfull but that for want of tillage in divers places they suffer it to grow into boggs and deserts It is true of this Countrey which Solinus writeth of some other that Serpents and Adders do not breed there and in the Irish timber of certaine experience no Spiders web is ever found The most renowned Island in the
world is Albion or Britania which hath heretofore contained in it many severall Kingdomes but especially in the time of the Saxons It hath now in it two Kingdomes England and Scotland wherin are four several languages that is the English which the civill Scots do barbarously speake the Welch tongue which is the language of the old Britains the Cornish which is the proper speech of Cornewall and the Irish which is spoken by those Scots which live on the West part of Scotland neer unto Ireland The commodities and pleasures of England are well known unto us and many of them are expressed in this verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia Foemina Lana England is stor'd with Bridges Hils and Wooll With Churches Wels and Women beautifull The ancient inhabitants of this land were the Britaines which were afterward driven into a corner of the Countrey now called Wales and it is not to be doubted but at first this Countrey was peopled from the continent of France or thereabout when the sons of Noah had spread themselves from the East to the West part of the world It is not strange to see why the people of that Nation do labour to fetch their pedigree from one Brutus whom they report to come from Troy because the original of that truth began by Galfridus Monumentensis above 500. yeares agone and his book containeth great shew of truth but was noted by Nubringensis or some author of his time to be meerly fabulous Besides that many of our English Nation have taxed the saying of them who would attribute the name of Brittannia unto Brutus and Cornubia to Corynaeus Aeneas Sylvius Epist. 1. 3. hath thought good to confirm it saying The English people saith he do report that after Troy was overthrown one Brutus came unto them from whom their Kings do fetch their pedigrees Which matter there are no more Historians that deliver besides a certaine English man which had some learning in him who willing to aequall the blood of those Iflanders unto the Roman stock and generosity did affirm and say that concerning Brutus which Livy and Salust being both deceived did report of Aeneas We do find in ancient Records and Stories of this Island that since the first possessions which the Britains had here it was over-run and conquered five several times The Romans were the first that did attempt upon it under the conduct of Julius Caesar who did onely discover it and frighted the inhabitants with the name of the Romans but was not able to sarre to prevaile upon it as any way to possesse it yet his successours afterwards did by little and little so gain on the Country that they had almost all of it which is now called England and did make a great ditch or trench from the East to the West sea between their dominion here and Scotland Divers of the Emperours were here in person as Alexander Severus who is reputed to be buried at York Here also was Constantius father unto Constantine the Great who from hence married Helena a woman of this Land who was afterward mother to the renowned Constantine But when the Romans had their Empire much weakned partly by their owne discords and partly by that decay which the irruptions of the Gothes and Vandals and such like invaders did bring upon them they were forced to retire their legions from thence and so leaving the Countrey naked the Scots and certaine people called the Pictes did breake in who most miserably wasted and spoiled the Country Then were the Inhabitants as some of our Authors write put to that choise that either they must stand it out and be slaine or give ground till they came to the sea and so be drowned Of these Pictes who were the second over-runners of this Land some do write that they did use to cut and pounse their flesh and lay on colours which did make them the more terrible to be seen with the cuts of their flesh But certaine it is that they had their name for painting themselves which was a common thing in Brittaine in Caesars time as he reporteth in his Commentaries the men colouring their faces with Glastone or Ode that they might seem the more dreadfull when they were to joyn battell To meet with the cruelty and oppression of these Barbars the Saxons were in the third place by some of the Land called in who finding the sweetnesse of the soile and commodiousnesse of the Countrey every way did repaire hither by great troops and so seated themselves here that there were at once of them seven several Kingdomes and Kings within the Compasse of England These Saxons did beare themselves with much more temperance and placability towards those few of the Countrey that remained then the Pictes had done but yet growing to contention one of their Kings with another partly about the bounds of their territories and partly about other quarrels they had many great battels each with other In the time of these Religion and Devotion was much embraced and divers Monasteries and rich Religious houses were founded by them partly for pennance which they would do and partly otherwise because they thought it too meritorious insomuch that King Edgar alone is recorded to have built above foure severall Monasteries And some other of their Kings were in their ignorance so devoted that they gave over their Crownes and in superstition did goe to Rome there to lead the lives of private men These seven Kingdomes in the end did grow all into one and then the fourth and most grievous scourge and conquest of this Kingdome came in the Danes who Lording it here divers yeares were at last expelled and then William Duke of Normandy pretending that he had right thereunto by the promise of adoption or some other conveiance from Harald did with his Normans passe over into this Land and obtained a great victory in Sussex at a place which he caused in remembrance thereof to be called Battell and built an Abby there by the name of Battell Abby He took on him to winne the whole by conquest and did beare himselfe indeed like a Conquerour For he seised all into his hands gave out Barons Lordships and Mannors from himself reversed the former Lawes and Customes and instituted here the manners and orders of his own Country which have proceeded on and been by little and little bettered so that the honourable government is established which we now see at this day It is supposed that the faith of Christ was first brought into this land in the days of the Apostles by Joseph of Arimathea Simon Zelotes and some other of that time but without doubt not long after it was found here which appeareth by the testimony of Tertullian who lived within lesse then 200. yeares after Christ And there are records to shew that in the daies of Eleutherius one of the ancient B shops of Rome King Lucius received here both Baptisme and
great Island Bri tain as at the very North point of Scotland the Orcades which are in number above thirty the chiefe whereof is named Orkney whereof the people are barbarous On the West side of Scotland towards Ireland lie the Islands called Hebrides in number 4. where inhabite the people ordinarily called the Red-shankes Not farre from thence is the Isle Mona commonly is called the Isle of Man the peculiar jurisdiction of the Earls of Darby with homage notwithstanding reserved to the Crowne of England On the North part of Wales is the Island of Anglisey which is reputed a distinct Shire Towards France side on the South part of England is the Isle of Wight in Latine called Victis which is a good hold in the narrow seas against the French More neer France are the Isles of Gernsey and Jernsey where they speak French and are under the Crown of England There are also many other but of small account As the Isles of Thanet and Sheppy on the side of Kent the Sorlings or Sullâ—…y at the end of Cornwall in number as it is said 145. Caldey Lunday and the Flatholns with others in the mouth of Severn Holy-farn Cocket Ilands on the side of Northumberland And thus much of Great Britaine and the Islands thereunto adjoining Of the Ilands in the Mediterranean Sea THere be many Ilands in the Mediterranean renowned in all the old Writers but the chiefe of them onely shall be touched From the Pillars of Hercules going East-ward are two Islands not faâ—…re from Spaine which in times past were called Insulae Baleares for that the people of them did use both for their delight and armor sâ—…ings which they continually almost carried about with them and whereunto as Pliny writeth they did traine up their Children from their youngest years not giving them any meat till they had from some post or beam cast it down with a sâ—…ing Of these were those Fonditors or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did use in their wars against the Romans The lesser of these which lyeth most West was called in the old time Minorica The bigger which lyeth more East was called Majorica and now Minorica and Majorica are both under the domiâ—…ion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the Sea called Mare inferum or Tyrrhenum â—…ieth the Iland of Corsica over against Genua and direct Southward from thence lieth the great â—…sland Sardinia for the quiet possession of which two the warres were oftentimes revived between the old Carthaginians and the Romans for these two Islands lie in the middle very fitly The Island of Corsica is subject to the state of Genua whither the Genoes do transport things out of the Maine and are ruled by their Governours as the Venetians do Candy This Island is but barren either in respect of some other that lye neere unto it or of the Country of Italy but yet yeeldeth profit ease and honour unto the States of Gâ—… nua which hath little land besidâ—… it The Island of Sardinia also is nâ—… way so fruitful as Sicily but it is under the government of the King of Spain and was the same which was promised to Anthony the King of Navarre father to Henry the fourth King of France in recompence of 〈◊〉 and the rest of the Kingdome of Navar then and now detained from him and his heires by the Spaniard But this was the device onely of the Cardinall of Lorain who intending to draw him to Papistry and to order his politick purposes did make shew of this which was no way meant by the Spaniard Further to the East at the very point of the South pâ—…rt of Italy lyeth the great Iland Sicilia which some have supposed to have been heretosore a part of the continent but by an earth-quake and inundation of water to have been rent off and so made an Iland The figure of this Country is Triquetra triangle or three square Justin in his 4 Book doth seem to suspect that Sicily was in times past fastned unto Italy But Seneca in consolatione ad Martian cap 97. doth say plainly that it was sometimes a piece of the continent There was also a great contention for this Countrey between the Carthaginians and the Romans but the Romans obtained it and had from thence exceeding store of Corn yearly whereupon Sicily was called Horreum Pope Rome Here stood the goodly City called Siracusa which was destroyed and sacâ—…ed by Marcellus the Roman When as Livy writeth of him he being resolved to set on fire that City which was then one of the goodliest places of the world could not choose but breake forth into teares to see how vain and transitory the glory of worldly things is here At that time lived Archimedes who was a most admirable ingenious Engine-maker for all kind of fortifications of whom it is said that by burning glasses which he made he did set on fire divers ships which the Romans had lying in the Haven When the City was taken he was making plots and drawing figures on the ground for to prevent the assaults of the Romans and being unknown he was slaine by some of the Souldiers which did break in upon him Some think that it was he and not Architas which made the dove of which it is written that it was so equally poised that being thrown up into the aire it would hover or flutter there and in a good space not fall down This was in times past a Kingdome where the two Tyrants the elder and the younger Dyonisius did reigne where Gelo also that great friend to the Romans did remain It was afterward made a province and goverâ—…ed by a Praetor or Deputy of the Romans whereof Verres was one who was so inveighed against by Tully It grew afterward to be a Kingdome again in so much that Tancredus was King of Sicily which entertain'd our Richard the first when with Philip the King of France he went to the conquest of the Holy Land Here was likewise Phalaris the Tyrant so famous King of Agragentum The tyrannies which were used in Sicily were in times past so famous that they grew into a Proverb as Invidi â Siculinon invenêre Tyranni tormentum majus but they who were the causes of all did oftentimes speed very ill themselves as appeareth by the elder Dionysius who being driven out of his Dominion did flee into Italy and was glad there to teach children that so he might supply his necessity His son grew more tyrannous then the father and stood so farre in fear of his own people that many times he caused himself to be shut up in a Tower and his guard to keep the door that nobody might come at him He durst not trust his barber to shave or clip him for fear of cutting of his throat but that which was done he caused his Daughters to do who with the
Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neer to behold it was stifled with the flame smoak ashes or that he died in the place as is most excellently described in the Book of his Epistle 〈◊〉 his Nephew the yonger Pliny Not farre from Sicily on the â—…outh lieth the little Isle called in old â—…ime Melita whence those dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses This was the place where S. Paul was cast up after his ship-wrack in his journy to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Country is now called Malta and is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turks When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty arm it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by sea do great spoile to the Gallies of the Turk that passe that way There were in times past diverâ—… Orders of Knights and men that â—…ad vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the earth against the Infidels and Sarazens The most ancient of all those were called the Templers who were a great corporation or society consisting of divers Gentlemen yonger brothers for the most part out of all the Realms of Christendome Their chiese charge was to defeâ—…d the City of Jerusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulchre of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their mony very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Italy and other places of Europe insomuch that in the daies of Matthew Paris he reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannors They had also in every Kingdome where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chief of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to be transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which Houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in former times belonged to the Jewes but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the society of these Templers ceased the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruines and their Land were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Timplers were in their strength there was another sort called the Hospitallers whose condition and im ployment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palestina We read that sometimes these two companies had great jarrs between themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the wars against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the Order of the Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as near unto it as possibly they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrims which should go to visit the Sepulcher of Chirst and partly to infest the Turke and Saracens but especially to keep the enemies of Christs faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and do desire they placed themselves in the Island of Rhodes where daily doing grea fâ—…th to the Turk Soliman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so ove lâ—…id them that he won the Island from them After the losse of Rhodes the Iland of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the 5. Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after he came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Italy from thence he made a voyage into England and then into France and hastly inâ—…o Savoy from whence he departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they much hinder the courses of the Turkes from Graecia and Asia and of the other Sarazens from Fez and Morocco They are very valiant men fit to do great service either by Land or Sea as appeared when Soliman did think to have surprised them and their Iland the description of which war is dilipently laid down by Caelius sâ—…undus Curio in a Treatise dedicated to Elizabeth Queen of England There have been divers other Orders of Knights yea and some of them reputed to be a kinde of Religion in Portugal France England Burgundy and some other places of Christendome but because their service hath not been emploi'd purposely as these which are before mentioned we do not touch them in this place Neer unto Graecia and Peloponnsus on the West side towards Italy is the Isle of Corcyra now termed Corfu and not far South from that is Cophalenia from thence South is Zon called by Virgil Nemerosa Zacynthus all which Ilands are at this day under the Venetians The greatest commodity which that Countrey doth yield are Corans which are gathered of a kind of small Grapes and for the making whereof they commonly one time every summer for the space of three weekes have a continuall drought day and night in which time the Currans are laid abroad in the open aire and may not be taken in insomuch that if the season do continue hot and dry their merchandize is very good but if there fall any raine untill the time be expired of their full drying the Currans are not good but do mould and change their colour to be somewhat white like meale The State of Venice under whom this Iland is doth make a great commodity of the impost or taxation which is laid upon this Merchandize calling the Tribute which is paid for them the Revenue of Saint Mark for unto that Saint is the City of Venice dedicated and they hold him for their Patron In this Iland besides the Merchants who repaire thither are divers Italians who be there in Garison for the Venetians in one special Castle which commandeth the whole Iland There are also divers Fryars of that Nation who perform nnto their Country men such exercises of Religion as are convenient They will not fuffer any of our Merchants to have Christian buriall among them unlesse at his death he be confessed after the Romish fashion whereupon some have been forced to convey over some of their
dead bodies into Morea which is not farre distant to be buried there among the Greekes and after their fashion The naturall Inhabitants of Zant are Greeks both by Language and Religion and observe all fashions of the Greekish Church in whose words being now much corrupted depraved there may yet be found some tokens and remainders of the old pure and uncorrupted Greek There are in this Countrey great store of Swine kept whereof the Inhabitants do feed and carry them into Morea but the Turks there by their Mahumetane profession will taste no Swines flesh In Zacynthus our English Merchants have an house of abode for their Traffick South-East from Moreah lyeth the great Island Creta where Minos sometimes did reign so famous for his severity This Countrey was then called Hecâ—…tompolis as having in it a hundred Towns and Cities Here stood the labyriâ—…th which was the work of Dedalus who conveighed the house so by the manifold turnings infiniteness of Pillars and Doors that it was impossible to find the way yet Theseus by the help of Ariadne the Daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of thred and â—…ing the one end at the first doore did enter and slâ—…y the Minotaur which was kept there and afterwards returned safe out again The ancient Inhabitants of this Country were such noted lyars that beside the Proverbs which were made of them as Crettenscmendacium Cretisandum est cum Cretensibus the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus who was left there by him as Bishop of that Island doth cite a verse out of the Heathen Poet Epimenides that the Cretians are ever lyars evil beasts slow bellies This Island is in our daies called Candy being the place from whence our Sugar of Candy is brought It is under the Venetians and repute a part of their Seigniory although the Turks when they had taken Cyprus did think also to have surprised it but that it pleased God by the meanes of Don John of Austria in the behalf of his brother the King of Spaine and the Venetians to give the Turke that great overthrow at sea in the sight near unto Lepanto Yet since that time no doubt the Turks have a greedy eye upon the sland of Canay Between Creta and Peloponnesus lyeth Cithera There was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Citherea The Islands are many which lye in the Sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece unto the top of the Hellespont as all the Cyclades Euboia and the great Iland Samos and Chios so Seyres where Achilles was born and was King of that Coutrey There is also Lesbos and Cemnos Mytilene and Ithaca where Ulysses was King and Andnos whither Themistocles was sent by the Athenians for Tribute as Plutarch layeth down the History Themistocles did tell them that he came to demand Tribute or some great imposition upon them being ' accompanied with two goddâ—…sses the one was Eloquence to perswade them and the other Violence to enforce them Whereunto the Andrâ—…ans made answer that they had on their side two goddesses as strong whereof the one was Necessity whereby they had it not and the other was Impossibilitie whereby they could not part with that which they never possessed Of these places something may be read in the old History of the Greekes Divers of these did strive that Homer was borne in them but of certain many of those Kings which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy were Kings but of those small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some part af Natolia or Asia the lesser is the Iland of Rhodes the friendship of the inhabitants whereof was in ancient time very much desired by the Princes that had to do that way so that Alexander first and the Romans afterwards did embrace their league Here was that huge and mighty Image of the Sun which was called Colossus Rhodius This Country was long defended by those who were called the Knights of Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great bulwarke to defend Christendome till that in the yeare one thousand five hundred twenty and one Solyâ—…an the Great Turke did win it from the Christians by force From thence Southward is the Isle Carpathus but in the farthest end of the East part of the Mediterranean is Cyprus which about 300. yeares since was a Kingdome and did afford great aide unto the Christians that went to conquer the Holy Land but it is now under the Turke The chief City thereof is â—…amogusta which is an Archbishops sea for Christians for their tribute do yet live there In this Countrey in old time was Venus much honoured and therefore she was called Cypria as also Paphia because she had a temple in a City there called Paphos Neer unto Syria stood the Island Tyrus against the pride whereof the Prophets doth much speak this was a rich City for Merchandise and Navigation in old time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the great Of the rest of the small Islands we do say nothing Of the Islands in the Indian Sea THe Islands are very many that do lye in the Sea adjoining to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall onely be touched Among old writers as especially appeareth by Solinus was well known that which was then called Tâ—…probana which lieth neer the Equinoctiall Line It was in that time a Monarchy where the Kings reigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intolerable he was deposed and enforced to dye by withdrawing from him all things necessary This is now called Sumatra and hath in it divers Kings Not far from thence lâ—…e Eastward the two Islands called Java major and Java minor which were also known to the old Writers as in general may be noted that all the East part either in the Continent or in the Ilands have very many smal Kings and Kingdomes From whence yet more East lieth a great number of â—…les which are now called the Molucco's which are places as rich for their quantity as any in the World from these it is that the Spaniards have yearly so great quantity of all kinds of spice neither is there any place of all the East-Indies that doth more richly furnish home their Carracts than do these Molucco's The Islands which are called by that name are by some of our writers accounted to be at least four twenty or five and twenty and some of them which are the bigger have in them two or three Kings apiece and some of them which are lesse are either the several Dominions of several Kings or else two or three of them do belong to some one Prince When Sir Francis Drake did compasse the whole World he came near unto these
not fulfilled there was some vengeance orpunishments executed upon them or their Children the more to keep them in awe servility to the great enemy of mankind Not long after the Spaniards entred those parts there were in divers of the Islands and some parts of the Main such incredible tempests and disturbances of the Aire by winde and rain thunder and lightning as that the like had never been seen nor heard of in the memory of man which are ordinarilie interpreted to be the speciall work of the Devill who not unfitly is termed by Saint Paul the Prince of the Aire as having a liberty given him of God there sometimes to do strange executions and of likelyhood he did make these stirs either grieving that the name of Christ was at all brought into those parts or else seeking to fright the Inhabitants from associating themselves with those who brought although but superstitiously the knowledge of God and the Redeemer being desirous that they should look for more such distemperatures and vexations if they would confederate themselves with them The people were so ignorant of all humane and civill conversation and trafficking into those parts at the first comming of the Christians thther that they thought they could never sufficiently admire their persons their shipping or any other thing which they brought with them Whereupon they without ceasing gazed on the manner of their Ships seeing them to be so great and consisting of divers Plancâ—…es But they were never satisfied with staring upon their Mastes Sayles Cables and other Ropes and Tacklings whereunto they had never beheld any thing like before and yet nature and necessity had taught them to make unto themselves certain Vessels for the Sea of some one tree which they did use to get down not with cutting but with fire and when it lay along upon the ground they did use also fire either to burn away that which was tough and unfit without or to make it hollow within although they have also the shels and bones of Fishes whereby they made smooth But some of these Troughes or Canoes were so great that sometimes above twenty men have been found rowing in one The Trees of America but especially in Brasilia being so huge that it is reported of them that several famâ—…les have lived in several arms of one Tree to such a number as are in some petty Villages or Parish in Christendome Among other strange opinions which they conceived of the Spaniards this was one that they were the sons of some god and not born of mortall seed but sent down from Heaven unto them and this conceit was the stronger in them because at the first in such conflicts as they had with them they could kill few or none of them the reason whereof was partly the armour of the Spaniards and partly the want of Iron and Steele upon the Arrowes which the Americans did shoot but they were not very long of that opinion that they were immortal but reformed that errour both by seeing the dead corps of some of the Christians and by trying an experiment upon some of them also for they took of them and put their heads under the water and held them till they were choaked by which they knew them to be of the same nature as other men Among other points which did shew the great ignorance and unlettered stupiditie of these Indians this was one that they could not conceive the force of writing of Letters insomuch that when one Spaniard would send unto another being distant in place in India with any provision and would write a Letter by him what the fellow had received from him the poor Indian would marvell how it should be possible that he to whom he came should be able to know all things which either himself brought or the sender directed And thereupon divers of them did think that there was some kind of spirit in the paper and marvellously stood in fear of such a thing as a Letter was This Country yeelds great abundance of strange Herbs the like whereof are not to be found in other parts of the World as also some very rare beasts as one among the rest who by Peter Martyrs description hath some part like an Elephant some part like an Horse and divers other parts like divers other Beasts Nature having studied to expresse a great many several creatures in one There are also found at the Sea or within some Rivers Crocodiles but not of that hugenesse as those that breed in Aegypt in the River Nilus whereof some are described by Pliny to be at the least 24. Cubits in length which argues the Crocodile to be the greatest creature in the world that comes of an Egg. There are also thereabout some extraordinary Stones growing in the Land as above others the Blood stones whereof there are great store but especially there is one thing of great beauty and worth that is the abundance of Pearles which are taken in shell-fishes and are of a great quantity as any that be in the Seas near to the East-Indies â—…o that the true cause of the plenty of Pearle in Europe in this our Age beyond that incomparably which hath been in the dayes of our forefathers is to be ascribed to the discovery of these New-found Lands There are also here divers Trees which are not to be found elsewhere and many Roots which serve for divers purposeâ—… Among other things whereof there is great plenty in those Westerne parts is the abundance of Kine and Buls whereof they report that there is such store in Guba and Hispaniola that there are killed â—…own divers thousands every year whereof the Spaniard maketh no other use but to take the Tallow or the Hide which serveth them in their shipping and for divers other purposes but the flesh or the most part of them they suffer for to putrifie as making little account of it partly because of the heat of the Country wherein they eat little flesh and partly because they have store of Hens and other more dainty meat whereupon together with fish they do very much feed It may seem a kind of miracle unto him who looketh no higher than the ordinary rules of Nature and doth not expect the extraordinary and unlimited power of God that whereas a great part of America doth lie in the Zona Torrida in the self same climate with Aethiopia and the hottest parts of the East-Indies where the inhabitants are not only tawny as all be in Aegypt and in Mauritania but also coale-black and very Negroes here there should be no man whose colour is black except it be those which are brought out of Africa but that the people should be oâ—… a reasonable fair complexion which is to be ascribed only unto Gods peculiar will and not to that which some foolishly have imagined that the generative seed of those people should be whiâ—…e and that other of the Aethiopians black
King entertained halfe his Forces that he then had in the Countrey which were an hundred and fifty Souldiers the like number being at Saint Helena all of them under the government of Petro Melendez Nephew to the admirall Melendez that fifteen or sixteen years before had been to bring with onr English in the Bâ—…y of Mexico this Fort our English â—…ook and not far from thence the Town also of Saint Augustine upon the same river where resolving to umdertake also the enterprize of Saint Helena when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shoals wherefore they sorsooke the place coasting along to Virginia where they took in Mr. Ralph Lane and his company and so came into England as you shall heare when we speak of Virginia In these Northerne parts of America but especially within the main Continent some have written but how truly I cannot tell that there is a sea which hath no enter course at all with the Ocean so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina which retained in it self great saltnesse and yet mingleth not with the other sea it is in these Countries There is also in new Spain a great salt Lake as big or bigger than the dead sea of Palestine in the midst of which stands the great City of Tenustitan or Mexico the Mistris crâ—…imperiall City of those parts and on the Bankes or sides of that Lake many other Cities also beside which though they are but little in comparison of the greatnesse of Tenustitan yet of themselves are geeat This Tenustitan is supposed to consist of 60 thousand houses as you may read in the third Chap. of the fifth of the Decades and this City standing in the midst and center of this salt Lake go which way you will from the Continent to the â—…ity it is at least a League and an half or two Leagues on the Lake unto it some of the other Cities are said to be thirty some of forty thousand Houses the names of these are Mesiquailâ—…ingo Coluacana Wiohilabasco Iztapalapa and others the Lake though it be in the midst of the Land hath his fluxus and refluxus his ebbing and flowing like the Sea and yet seventy leagues distant from the Sea But certain it is that towards the South of these parts which is the Northern part of Hispania nova above Mexico there is a burning hill which often times breaketh out into flames as Vesuvius in Campania did in the daies of the elder Pliny and as Aetna hath done many ages since and before Peter Martyr his his fifth of his Decades saith that eight leagues from Tenustitan or Mexico as Ferdinando Cortes went thither from the Chiurute Calez where is a Hill called of the Inhabitants Popecatepeque as much as to say A smoakie mountaine at the top whereof there is a hole of a league and a halfe wide out of which are cast fire and stones with whitl-winds and that the thickness of the ashes lying about the Hill is very great It is reported also elsewhere of this hill that the flames and the ashes thereof oft times destroy the fields and Gardens thereabouts When Cortes went by it he sent ten Spaniards with Guides of the Countrey to see and make report thereof unto him two of which ten venturing further than the rest saw the mouth of this fiery gulph at the hils top and had they not happily soon returned towards their fellows and sheltered themselves under a rock on the side of the hill such a multitude of stones were cast out with the flame that by no meanes they could have escaped The English-men also desirous by Navigation to adde something unto their own Countrey as before time they had travelled toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lieth between Florida and Nova Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a Land fruitfull and fit to plant in they sent thither two severall times two severall companies as Colonies to inhabite that part which in remembrance of the Virginity of their Queen they called Virginia But this voyage being enterprized upon by private men and being not throughly followed by the State the possession of this Virginia for that time was discontinued and the Country left to the old inhabitants There were some English people who after they had understood the calmnesse of the Climate and goodnesse of the soyle did upon the instigation of some Gentlemen of England voluntarily offer themselves even with their Wives and Children to go into those parts to inhabite but when the most of them came there upon some occasions they returned home again the first time which caused that the second year there was a great company transported thither who were provided of many necessaries and continued there over a whole winter under the guiding of M. Lane but not finding any sustenance in the Country which could well brooke wiâ—…h their nature and being too meanely provided of Corn and Victuals from England they had like to have perished with famine and therefore thought themselves happy when Sir Francis Drake comming that way from the Westerne Indies would take them into his ships and bring them home into their native Country Yet some there were of those English which being left behind ranged up and down the Country and hovering about the sea-coast made means at last after their enduring much misery by some Christian ships to be brought back again into England While they were there inhabiting there were some children born and baptized in those parts and they might well have endured the Country if they might have had such strength as to keep off the inhabitants from troubling them in tilling the ground and reaping such corn as they would have sowed Again in the daies of our now raigning Soveraigne in the year of our Lord 1606. the English planted themselves in Virginia under the degrees 37 38 39. where they do to this day continue and have built three Towns and Forts as namely James-town and Henrico Fort Henricke Fort Charls with others which they hold inhabite sure retreats for them against the force of the natives and reasonable secured places against any power that may come against them by Sea In the same height but a good distance from the coast of Virginia lieth the Iland called by the Spaniards La Barmuda but by our English the Summer Ilands which of late is inhabited also by our Country men Northward from them on the coast lieth Nâ—…rumbega which is the south part of that which the French men did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possess For the French-men did discover a larg part of America towards the Circle Articke and did build there some Towns and named it of their own Country Nova Francia As our English men have adventured very far for the discovery of
thither have written concerning those West Indies shall find that the inhabitants there do use it most as a remedy against that which is called Lues venerea whereunto many of them are subject being unclean in their conversation and that not only in fornication and adultery with women but also their detestable and excrable sin of Sodomy After that the Spaniards had for a time possessed Hispania nova for the desire of Gold and Pearle some of them travelled towards the South and as by water they found the Sea westward from Peru which is alwaies very calme and is by them called the South sea as the other wherein Cuba standeth ' is termed the North sea so by land they found that huge and mighty Country which is called Peru wherein the people are for the most part very barbarous and without God men of great stature yea some of them far higher than the ordinary sort of men in Europe using to shoot strongly with bows made of Fish-bones and most cruel people to their enemies Our English people who have travelled that way do in their writings confess that they saw upon the South of Peru very huge tall men who attempting upon them when they put to land for fresh water were much frighted with their Guns or else doubtless had offered violence unto them which our men fearing got them away as speedily as they could There was one Petrus de Cieca a Spaniard who when he had travelled two and twenty years returned back again into Europe and wrote an excellent Book of the Discovery of that whole Country And he amongst other things doth record that there are found in some parts of Peru very huge and mighty bones of men that had been Gyants who dwelt and were buried there Amongst these the Spaniards partly by force but especially by perfidious treason did get infinite sums of Gold and Pearls wherewith being allured they hoped for more by reason that a great part thereof hath under the Zona torrida and that caused them to spread themselves here and there as far as they durst in the country where in some places they digged Gold out of the â—…rth and in some other they found it ready digged and tried unto their hands by the people of the Country which had used that Trade before their comming thither Amongst other creatures which are very famous in this Peru there is a little beast called Cincia which is no bigger than a Fox the tale whereof is long the feet short and the head like a very Fox which hath a bag hanging under her belly whereinto she doth use to put her yong when she seeth them in danger of any hunter or passenger That Petrus de Cieca of whom mention was made before telleth that himself saw one of them which had no less then seven young ones lying about her but as soon as she perceived that a man was comming neer unto her she presently got them into her bag and ran away with such incredible swiftness as one would not have imagined After the Spaniards had conquered Mexico they discovered Peru travelling towards the south and as they prevailed against the Mexicans taking part with an enemy neighbour so finding two brothers striving in Peru Guasâ—…ar Atabaliba they so demeaned themselves in their difference that they ruined both and got their incredible store of Gold The first that attempted against the Peruvians and destroyed their Kings were James of Almagra and the two brothers of Pizarres but dealing treacherously and cruelly with the Peruvians they long enjoyed not their victory but all of them died a violent death The people of Peru are in many places much wiser than those of Cuba Hispaniola and some others parts of the Continent where the Spaniards first landed and therefore they have some orders and solemne customes among them as among the rest they do bury their dead with observable ceremonies laying up their bodies with great solemnity into a large house prepared for that purpose They have also in one Province there a custome of carrying news messages veryspeedily to the end the King and Governor of the Country may presently take advertisement of any thing which falleth out and this is not on horse-back or by the Dromedary or Else as they use in other places but only men who pass over Rocks and thorow Bushes the next way and in 〈◊〉 set places there be alwaies fresh Posts to carry thaâ—… further which is brought unto them by the other The Spaniards have here and there scatteringly upon the sea-coasts set up some Towns and Castles but are not able to possess almost any thing of the land neither have they as yet discovered the inward parts thereof â—…hough daily they spread themselves more and more insomuch thâ—…t it is supposed that within these seven years last past they have gotten into Guiana where in former time no â—…ranger of that Nation hath been Guiana is a country which lieâ—…h to â—…he North sea in the same height as Peru to the South as it is discribed â—…bout five degrees from the Aequinâ—…ctial and that as I take it toward the South The Country is supposed to be exceeding rich to have in it many mines of gold which have not yet been touched or at least but very lâ—…tely to be exceeding fertile and delightful otherwise although it lie iâ—… the heat of Zona torrida but there is such store of rivers fresh waters iâ—… every part thereof and the soile it self hath such correspondency thereunto that it is reported to be as green and pleasant to the eye as any place in the world Some of our Englishmen did with great labour and danger pass by water into the heart of the country earnestly desire that some forces of â—…he English might be sent thither a Colony erected there by reason of the distance of the place the great hazard that if it should not succeed well it might prove dishonourable to our nation and withal because the Spaniards have great companies and strength although not in it ye many wayes about it that intendment was discontinued In divers parts of this Peru and near unto Guiana there are very many great rivers which as they are fiâ—… for any navigation that should be attempted to go up within the land so otherwise they must needs yeeld health and fruitfulness to those that iâ—…habit there The greatest of these rivers is that which some call Oregliana or the river of the Amazones And next is the river Maragnone down towards Magellane straights Rio de la Plata and our English men do speak of the river Orinoque in the greatest of which this is famous that for a good spece after they have run into the main sea yea some write 20. or 30. Miles they keep themselves unmixt with the salt water so that a very great way wiâ—…hin the sea men may take up as fresh water as
of his Book De navigatione in Brasiliam doth tell that Sir Francis Drake of England when he passed through Magellane straights and so to the Molucco Ilands and then homeward from the East by Africk did in a device give the Globe of the earth with this word or Motto Primus mâ—…â—…ricumdedisti which is not simple to be understood that never any had gone round the world before him but that never any of fame for Magellane himself was slain as before is noted or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration that the Ship called Fictoria did return with safety into Spaine The Maps which were made at first concerning America and Peru did so describe the western part of Peru as if when a man had passed Magellane straits and did intend to come upward towards nova Hispania on the further side he must have born West by reason that the land did shoot out with a very great Promontory and bending that way But our English men which went with S. Francis Drake did by their own experience certainly find that the land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side did go up towards the South directly without bending to the West and that is the cause whereof all the new Maps and Globes especially made by the English or by the Dutch who have taken their directions from our men are reformed according to this new observation When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes they never ceased to travel that way and discovered more and more and by that means they had found out divers Islands not known in former ages as two for example sake a good distance from the Molucco's which because they be inhabited by men which do steal not only each from other but do pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as do land there abouts they are called Insulae Latronum They have also descried some other neerer unto the East Indies which they now term Insulae Salomonis But the most renowned of all are those to whom the name is given Philippinae in remembrance of Philip the second King of Spaine at whose cost they were discovered These Philippinae are very rich and from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices and some other rich merchandize yea and Gold too There were also some other Islands descried by Magellanus himself which he called Insulas Infortunatas as being of quality contrary to the Canaries which are termed the Fortunate Islands For when he passing through the South sea and meaning to come to the Moluccoes where he was slain did land in these Islands thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water he found the whole place to be Barren and not Inhabited Of the Countries that lie about the two Poles HAving laid down in some measure the description of the old known world Asia Africa and Europe with the Islands adjoyning unto them also of Americk which by some hath the title of New found World it shall not be amiss briefly to say some thing of a fift and sixt part of the Earth the one lying neer the South Pole and the other neer the North which are places that in former times were not known nor though of When Magellanus came down to the Southern end of Peru he found on the further side of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 main and hugh Land lying towards the South Pole which some have of his name called since Regio Magellanica and that so much the rather because he touched upon it again before he came to the Moluccoes Since his time the Portugals trading towards Calecâ—… and the East Indies there hath some of them been driven by tempest so far as to that which many now call the South Continent and so divers of sundery Nations have there by occasion touched upon it It is found therefore by experience for to go along all the degrees of longitude and as in some places it is certainly discovered to come up so high towards the North as to the Tropicke of Capricorn so it is conjectured that towards the South it goeth as far as to the Pole The ground whereof is that never any man did perceive the Sea did passe through any part thereof nay there is not any great river which hath yet been described to come out oâ—… iâ—… into the Ocean whereupon it is concluded that since somewhat must fill up the Globe of the Earth from the first appearing of this land unto the very Pole and that cannot be any Sea unless it should be such a one as hath no entercourse with the Ocean which to imagine is uncertain therefore it is supposed that it commeth whole out into the land to the Antartick Pole which if it should be granted it must needs be acknowledged withal that this space of earth is so huge as that it equalleth in greatness not only Asia Europe and Africa but almost America being joyned unto them Things memorable in this country are reported to be very few only in the East part of it over against the Moluccoes some have written that there be very waste Countries wildernesses but we find not so much as mention whether any do inhabite there or no. And over against the Promontory of Africk which is called Caput bonae spei there is a country which the Portugals called P sittacorum regio because of the abundant store of Parrets which they found there Neer to the Magellane straits in this south part of the world is that land the Spaniards call Terra delfuego those also which have toucht at it in other places have given to some parts of it these names Beach Lucath Maletur but we have no perfect description of it nor any knowledge how or by whom it is inhabited About this place the said Portugals did at one time saile along for the space of 2000. miles and yet found no end in the land And in this place they reported that they saw inhabitants which were very fair and fat people and did go naked which is the more to be observed because we scant read in any writer that there hath been seen any people at all upon the South coast More towards the East not far from the Muluccoes there is one part of this Country as some suppose although some doubt whether that be an Island or no which commeth up so high towards the North as the very Aequinoctial line and this is commonly called Nova Guinea because it lieth in the same Climate and is of no other temperature then Guinea in Africk is I have heard a great Mathematitian in England find fault both with Ortelius and Mercator and all our late makers of Maps because in describing this Continent they make no mention of any Cities Kingdoms or Common-wealth which are seated and placed there whereof he seemed in confidence of words to